Lakken, poedercoatings

Roofs are exposed to very harsh weather conditions over many years. To avoid corrosion and guarantee the longevity of steel sheet roofing, the coating of the steel must be of the highest quality. The coating structure is typically built up of three layers of lacquer over a basic zinc coating.

Powder coating is a popular finish used for functional and decorative purposes on products ranging from outdoor machinery to household items. Measuring the thickness of applied powder coating is a critical requirement for custom coaters and those performing incoming inspection of finished goods. FISCHER instruments utilising the magnetic induction and eddy current methods are the instruments of choice for powder coating thickness measurement.

Coating thickness measurement is of growing importance in the paint and corrosion protection industry, as is conformance to regulations and standards like SSPC-PA2, a specification that describes procedures to measure the thickness of a dry film (DFT).

More and more often adherence to a specification for the coating thickness of a product is directly monitored in the production facility. This reduces the risk for failure and enables the process to be adjusted in a timely manner. The prerequisite for such an application is a reliable measurement instrument that allows communication with control and monitoring units in the production facility.

The demands placed on the performance of optical components have skyrocketed and, in response, highly complex coating systems have been developed to produce surfaces that are scratch-resistant, dirt-repellent, anti-static and reflective. Various curing processes are integral to the production of optical coatings, making it difficult but important to find the decisive balance between coating hardness and elasticity.

Until recently, quick scratch testing with pencils to determine the hardness of paint coatings has been commonplace. However, the reliability and reproducibility of this method is questionable. Because of the stringent quality standards in the coating industry, it is necessary to be able to test the hardness of paint coatings reliably.

In the electronics industry, two-component conformal coatings are often used to minimize current leakage on PCBs and as protection against humidity and other environmental stressors. Because the exact composition of the polymer determines its final mechanical properties, quality control using a reliable measurement technology is mandatory.

In today's hectic world, there are few people who can do without a wristwatch. The importance of this "cultural companion" has also changed in recent decades. For some, it just tells the time, helping its wearer to structure daily routines. For others, however, it is jewelery made of precious metal, some even set with diamonds and other gemstones. But what most of them have in common is a dial: a signature feature of any watch, and a very delicate part exposed to significant stressors.

Irregular surface structures, or “roughness” – as typically found on grey cast iron or sand-blasted steel – complicate the process of measuring the thickness of overlying paint layers. The unevenness of the substrate’s surface can cause large fluctuations in the measured values. This leads to uncertainties in the interpretation of the results and makes it difficult to monitor the coating process.